Chandigarh, February 13
After several meetings of the Privileges Committee of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala put up his case before it for the first time today. Chautala himself did not appear before the committee. He was represented by his advocates, Sher Singh Badshami and former advocate-general Ashok Aggarwal.

Badshami, who was carrying the power of attorney from Chautala, was the political adviser to the INLD chief when the latter was the Chief Minister.

Interestingly, the selection of Badshami’s son, Kuldhir Singh, in the HCS is under challenge before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It has been alleged, among other things, that Kuldhir was awarded marks for five questions in the history paper while he had attempted only four. Kuldhir was selected to the HCS by the Haryana Public Service Commission when his father was the political adviser to Chautala.

Badshami’s name also figures in the JBT teachers’ recruitment scam investigated by the CBI on the orders of the Supreme Court.

Badshami himself was a member of the public service commission when the Janata Dal, earlier incarnation of the INLD, was in power in the late eighties. He was removed from the membership after the Bhajan Lal government sent a reference to the President of India, who sought the opinion of the apex court on it.

Chautala’s advocates told the Privileges Committee that no case was made out against their client. Chautala is facing the committee on a charge of showing disrespect to the Speaker.

The committee had not been able to serve its notices on Chautala till it asked the DC, Sirsa, last month to serve the notice on him. The notice was served on Chautala a few days ago.

His advocates said they would file an application for inspecting the records. Chairman of the committee Karan Singh Dalal told them that they could inspect the records on February 27 when the committee would meet next.

Hisar, February 13
The police booked four persons, including two brothers and a sister-in-law of Haryana cooperation minister Meena Mandal, late last night on charges of extorting money by promising a government job.

The case was registered at the Agroha police station near here. The accused include the minister’s two brothers Jitendra Mandal and Ravindra Mandal, sister-in-law and Karnal district Mahila Congress chief Gayatri Mandal and her brother Deepak Kumar.

The case has been registered on a complaint of Ramesh Kumar who alleged that despite paying the money he was not selected for any government job as promised by the accused. The complaint had been made several days ago. Police officials said the minister was not an accused since she did not figure in the CD supplied by the complaint as proof of the money paid and the promise of job made.

The complainant had alleged that three youths had paid Rs 5 lakh each to the accused who had promised that they would first be appointed as clerks on an ad hoc basis for 89 days and then their services would be regularised.

However, when the jobs did not materialise for a long time, they demanded their money back, but the accused refused to do so.

Yamunanagar, February 13
A local court has issued non-bailable arrest warrant against an inspector of the Haryana police posted in Karnal district, who reportedly went underground after his alleged links with an interstate gang involved in murder, drug trafficking and highway robberies surfaced.

The district police had earlier approached its Karnal counterpart for the arrest of inspector Randhir Singh.

Police sources said the inspector had links with members of the interstate gang, which was busted by the police on January 25.

Meanwhile, a special investigation team (SIT) under additional superintendent of police, Ambala, Balbir Singh Baniwal has started investigations.

The team consists of two DSPs, Hait Ram and Bhoopinder, posted in Yamunanagar, and two officials of inspector rank has been entrusted with the task to arrest Manjesh, the alleged chief of the gang, who escaped from the custody of the CIA II here on January 30.

Manjesh and eight others were arrested by the district police during investigations of a loot of Rs 25 lakh from a plywood manufacturer on January 12 on the Saharanpur-Kurukshetra road.

Baniwal said the SIT was formulating strategies to arrest Manjesh.

The district police had carried out several raids in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh to arrest Manjesh, a resident of Ghergaushala, Haridwar, Dehra Dun.

Manjesh is involved in several crimes, including murder and dacoity, and wanted by the police of several states.

Hisar, February 13
Farmers hailing from all five districts of the Hisar revenue division staged a demonstration here today to press their demand for compensation for crops damaged by inclement weather during the past few weeks.

The demonstrators were led by Haryana Kisan Sabha chief and former legislator Harpal Singh. They collected at Krantimaan Park and marched in procession to the mini secretariat.

They submitted a memorandum to the district authorities in which it was pointed out that the cold weather during the past few weeks had caused extensive damage to crops. It sought a special survey to assess the damage and the payment of compensation.

Gurgaon, February 13
The police today arrested the accused servant, Rishi, for allegedly murdering 82-year-old Wing Commander S.D. Saxena (retd) on Monday. The police said during the initial interrogation, Rishi admitted his crime of murdering Saxena with an iron rod.

He told the police that he was forced to take this action as Saxena had ignored his request to give him a month’s salary. He said he wanted to go to his native village to see his seriously ill mother.

He revealed that he became furious on the delaying tactics of his master and decided to murder him.

Rishi conceded that he had no threat to his life from Saxena. He killed him, as he needed money and took away his salary of Rs 3,000 from his place.

The police said the accused was hiding at his relative’s place in Delhi near Jamruderpur and it raided the place on a tip off.

A police official said the term of one-year contract of Rishi had expired so he thought that Saxena would not pay him the last month’s salary. He said Saxena liked Rishi’s work therefore he did not pay him the salary so that he might not leave his place and join some other job.

The official said Rishi took away a suitcase, mobile, camera and Rs 3,000.

Rishi was presented in the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Ranjana Agarwal, which sent him to a three-day remand.

The official said Rishi wrote a letter to Saxena’s daughter, as he felt guilty after committing the crime.

Panchkula, February 13
The local police has registered a case of cheating and forgery against 17 more candidates, who had submitted fake certificates along with their applications to get the job of a teacher. Earlier, the police had booked 90 persons from all over the state for the same offence.

Now, the candidates booked for the offence belong to Gurgaon, Rohtak Sonepat, Jhajjar, Panipat and Rewari districts.

The racket came to light when a team from the Haryana education department visited Patna, the capital of Bihar, on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to know the antecedents of the institute, namely Bihar Vidyalaya Pariksha Samiti. The applicants along with their applications produced the certificates issued by the Bihar institute claiming that they had passed the examination of primary teacher training from the institute.

The Haryana Staff Selection Commission had advertised 3,483 posts of JBT teacher on July 20, 2006, following which the interviews were held by the board between December 12 and January 18, 2007. However, the interviews were challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the plea that many applicants had submitted certificates by an unrecognised institution.

While disposing of the civil writ petition, the court directed the education department to hold an inquiry into the matter. Ninety persons were found accused in the inquiry conducted by the Haryana Education Board, and the Panchkula police booked a case against them last month.

However, a team of the Staff Selection Commission, Haryana, which started the investigation into the case, found that 17 others also submitted fake certificates.

Chandigarh, February 13
The Haryana government today transferred two IAS officers and several HCS officers with immediate effect.

S.P. Srow, IAS, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, and special officer, APZ, Ambala, and chief executive officer, Shivalik Development Agency, goes as member secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, relieving S.K. Monga, IAS.

Saket Kumar, IAS, SDM and estate officer, HUDA, Kaithal, goes as SDM, Hansi, in place of Ashok Kumar Garg, HCS, who is the new estate officer, HUDA, Panchkula.

Pradeep Kasni, HCS, (awaiting posting order), becomes additional director (admn) public relations vice Mahabir Singh Yadav, HCS, who goes as additional director (admn) development and panchayats. Ramesh Krishan, HCS, general manager (P) in the office of engineer-in-chief, irrigation, goes as ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Kurukshetra, in place of Sanjeev Verma, HCS, who goes to Jind as such.

R.C. Verma, HCS, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Jind, goes as such to Kaithal in place of Renu S. Phulia, HCS, who becomes ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA and special officer, APZ, Ambala.

Hardeep Singh, HCS, district development and panchayat officer, Bhiwani, is now deputy secretary, cooperation department. Geeta Bharti, HCS, city magistrate, Karnal, will be SDM, Hodal. Dinesh Singh Yadav, HCS, deputy chief executive officer, Mewat Development Board, Nuh, becomes additional director (admn), social justice and empowerment department.

S.P. Arora, HCS, additional director (admn), development and panchayats, will now be additional labour commissioner (admn) and deputy secretary, labour department and additional director, ESI health centre.

Jai Singh Sangwan, HCS, sub-divisional officer (C), Gurgaon, will also hold the charge of SDM-II, Gurgaon, in place of Vatsal Vashisht, HCS, who goes as joint director (admn), town and country planning and urban estates, and joint director (admn), urban local bodies. Jagdish Sharma, HCS, (awaiting posting order), is now city magistrate, Rohtak.

Surender Singh, HCS, SDM, Samalkha, becomes general manager (P) in the irrigation department. Mahabir Parsad, HCS, SDM, Hodal, is joint director (admn) industries. Mukesh Kumar, HCS, general manager, Haryana Roadways, Rewari, will also hold the charge of estate officer, HUDA, Rewari. Hawa Singh, HCS, SDM, Tosham, goes as such to Kaithal. Satbir Singh Jangu, HCS, land acquisition officer, PW (B&R), Bhiwani, takes over as SDM, Tosham.

Om Parkash Sharma, HCS, land acquisition officer, urban estate, Panchkula, becomes city magistrate, Karnal. Parvesh Kumar, HCS, city magistrate, Ambala, goes as such to Yamunanagar. Virender Singh Sehrawat, HCS, city magistrate, Panipat, becomes SDM, Samalkha. Satbir Singh, HCS, city magistrate, Rohtak, goes as SDM, Jind. Yogesh Kumar, HCS, district development and panchayat officer, Panipat, becomes city magistrate, Ambala.

Jind, February 13
The head mahant of a religious dera near Narwana town in the district was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The police is suspecting a foul play in the death as the victim’s body bore injury marks.

Finger print experts and a dog squad rushed to the spot to get a clue of the accused. No arrest has been made so far.

This has been the first case of such a murder in the district this year.

According to information, the dera, ‘Data Kala Peer’, located about 30 km from here near Barta village, attracted several visitors every year. The victim, Baba Sher Nath (50), had been managing the dera for the past many years.

Sarpanch of the village Surjit Singh, who reported the matter to the police, said the mahant’s body was found in his room this morning. An injury mark had been found on his head.

It is claimed that some cash and belongings of the victim were found missing. The assailants had also reshuffled various items kept in the room before fleeing away.

However, it is yet to be ascertained that how many persons were living with the mahant at the dera when the incident took place. The cause of the ‘murder’ could be known only after the arrest of the suspect, said a police official.

Meanwhile, in another incident, women wear, including saris and lenghas, were stolen from a showroom located near Tonga Chowk here on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. A case has been registered in this regard.

Gurgaon, February 13
The district town planning (DTP) demolition squad removed encroachments on the Faridabad road near Balola village in the Gwal-Pahari area on Wednesday.

These encroachments were in violation of the Controlled Area Act and were posing a hindrance to the movement of vehicles on the Gurgaon-Faridabad road.

The squad was headed by DTP (encroachment) Madhu Smita. A demolition drive has been launched from Valley View Apartments towards Faridabad. During the drive nine shops, a taxi stand spread over 2 acres, four offices, one house and a boundary wall were demolished.

According to the DTP(E) all these constructions were in violation of the Controlled Area Act. Besides, this area lay in the agricultural zone.

She said the Gurgaon-Faridabad road was proposed to be widened to 90 metres. A green belt (60 metres wide on both sides of this road) was also proposed. 

Chandigarh, February 13
The girl child in Haryana has a new advocate pleading her cause for education - the gram panchayats. Members of these bodies have been motivated to take up the challenge of taking the girl child to school in their respective areas and it is beginning to pay off in some districts of the state where the plan has been well-received and the outcome is for all to see.

At a panchayat meeting of Koyalpur in Jhajjar, this effort found voice with women members raising the issue of a headmaster who refused to enrol weak students in his school while a woman sarpanch said the incentives offered by the government to educate the girl child were not adequately publicised.

Similarly, at other panchayat meetings in Mahendragarh, Fatehabad, Sonepat and Panchkula districts, members are waking up villagers to the need to educate their girl child while addressing the problems faced in schools at their own level.

In the city to participate in a workshop on “Promotion of girl child education with panchayat engagements in Haryana”, organised by Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), which has been the motivating force behind this awakening, delegates from various panchayats said girls in their respective villages were now beginning to enrol in schools and attend classes.

A sarpanch of Thana village in Mahendragarh, Karan Singh, pointed out at the meeting that a teacher in his village was misbehaving with the staff and students and that he had informed the district education officer of the area as also senior officers of the education department. “It has been four months since I lodged the complaint but there has been no action so far,” he maintained while admitting that he was personally monitoring the working of the school in his village.

A member of Garhi Haqikat, Sonepat, Balbir, declared at the meeting that his village could boast of 100 per cent enrolment of children in the age group of 6-14 years. “No child is out of school in my village,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, the state coordinator of PRIA, Krishan Tyagi, said a survey they had carried out in the districts chosen for the exercise revealed that the student-teacher ratio was directly related to the dropout rate of children. “The higher the ratio, the greater the dropout rate,” he said.

Also, their survey revealed that there were disparities in the mid-day meal served in schools, incentives were not distributed on time and awareness about government schemes was low.